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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

How is it that a fine Torah Jew like Jacob married two sisters?

The Torah forbids us to marry sisters. The Torah says Jacob married sisters. The Torah says that Jacob followed the laws of the Torah. How can this be resolved?

First, the Occam's Razor resolution: Jacob didn't keep Torah law, so find a new way to interpret 26:5. This satisfies me, but I doubt it satisfies you. So here's something else:

For Jacob, keeping Torah law was a personal stringency. It wasn't expected. It wasn't demanded. It wasn't necessary. God has not yet revealed the Torah. Jacob followed Torah law (if we must agree that he did) because he wanted to. However, his personal choice to accept a personal stringency could not supersede good manners.

Rachel received a promise from Jacob. The promise was "I will marry you." No personal stringency could be used as an excuse to escape this basic obligation. Jacob had to keep his word. He had to respect Rachel's feelings, and he had to fulfil his obligation to her. Personal chumra be damned.

If it relates to Jews, Judaism, holidays, Midrash,Torah, halacha or anything similar, I probably have a post on it. And if I have a post on it, I probably have a good comment thread with great reader-provided information, too.

Try a search and see for yourself. If you can't find what you're looking for ask me.

Quotes

רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת קוֹרֵא מֵרֹאשׁ דּוֹר וָדוֹר עַם דּוֹרֶשְׁךָ דְּרֹשׁ
Your chief word is "truth"; You've called it out since the beginning. In each generation people interpret You [for themselves] and find [their own] meaning.

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd. -Flannery O'Connor

“When in the afterglow of religious insight I can see a way that is good for all humans as it is for me—I will know it is His way.” - R. Abraham Joshua Heschel

I don't accept at all the quite popular argument that the press is responsible for the monarchy's recent troubles. The monarchy's responsible for the monarchy's recent troubles. To blame the press is the old thing of blaming the messenger for the message. -Anthony Holden

Said behind my back

"...he's trying to show that there are other facets to Orthodox Judaism. That we don't all think one way and vote one way. And he's occasionally entertaining when he's not being mean-spirited" [PsychoToddler]"

"He's witty. He's funny. He appreciates the ridiculous in life, and has no qualms about telling you when he thinks that you're being a moron" [Cara]

" I'm pretty sure [DovBear] is a really great guy who just wants to be able to ask questions and talk about things without the fear of someone claiming he's off the derech or on his way there." [Chaviva]